Where You Can Earn More Than Money

As a previous Communications major, I was neither aware that Business clubs existed, nor was I aware of out-of-classroom learning opportunities such as case competitions and writing mentoring. In fact, I was only vaguely familiar with the idea of the co-op positions or internships. Fortunately, I finally understood the importance of getting involved in university, although it only hit me a year after my debut into the Beedie School of Business.

While I found that I was initially unable to keep up with club commitments on top of regular school work throughout the year, I knew that joining clubs would allow me to expand my network of friends. And so, I joined the Human Resources Students’ Association (HRSA) in my third year with the intention to become more engaged and involved in the Beedie community, but still did not make the effort to attend any events.

I joined HRSA again the following year, and this time, I was determined to be truly involved. To ensure this, I joined the executive team as the Director of Professional Development (now known as the Vice-President of Corporate Relations). This was a great role since I was given the opportunity to connect with many professionals in the field while helping my peers understand the concentration of Human Resources Management.

Halfway through my year in the role, I had realized that my role at HRSA was so much more than ‘resume padding’ and I had grown to truly care about how the club would continue to grow and prosper. I had numerous suggestions to voice and was set on improving and expanding the club. The following executive turnover, Gianni Mui and I took on our current roles as Co-Presidents.

Now, it should be of no surprise that I give credit to HRSA for everything that has happened in my professional life. Three months after receiving my role as the Director of Professional Development, I had accepted my first full-time HR position on an eight-month contract with Langara College. During my interview, I found my interviewers to be more interested in the tasks I performed and the skills I had as the Director of Professional Development at HRSA as opposed to my the administrative assistant office position role I was holding back then. I knew then that having this qualification on my resume reflected more than just community involvement; it was evidence for excellent teamwork skills, leadership experience, organizational skills, and the ability to take initiative.

None of these amazing job opportunities would have been open or available to me if I had not made that step to become more involved in the Beedie community. I never imagined that I would have learned and benefited this much from my involvement with HRSA. Truth be told, the students at the Beedie School of Business are given all that is necessary to succeed by their school itself. However, it is up to each individual student to choose to utilize these resources to become successful. It took me almost 4 years to finally recognize and appreciate this fact. My hope is that by reading this, you may quickly come to realize this as well, and discover who your talents as business students.